Residents in North Tyneside continue to show their creative flair in appreciation of frontline teams.
As refuse collections continue in North Tyneside, hundreds of people have taken to decorating their bins and windows.
The messages of thanks and support are popping up all over the borough and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by those working on the rounds.
Refuse collector Graham Percival, who works on a round covering the north west of North Tyneside, commented on the pictures, saying: “Please thank your kids so much; it’s a lovely gesture and they give the crew a huge lift.”
Drawings and paintings of rainbows, sunshines, smiley faces and handwritten messages cover wheelie bins and windows.
North Tyneside Elected Mayor, Norma Redfearn CBE, said: “Our crews have been touched by the incredible support shown by residents.
“In a time when we can all feel a little disconnected, acts of kindness like this can help us to feel more united, and I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to show their support in such a lovely and creative way.
“Please keep them coming – they really are giving our teams a big boost.”
As well as showing crews their appreciation, the council is asking residents to help look after refuse collectors by washing their hands before putting their bin out and making sure possibly contaminated waste is double bagged.
To make sure collections of general waste, recycling and garden waste continue, other staff have volunteered to be retrained and redeployed.
It’s part of the council’s response to the crisis, which has seen the authority carrying out a skills audit to determine how and where the workforce could be redeployed to provide invaluable frontline support and keep essential services running.
Among the first to be redeployed were staff from environmental services, who volunteered to be retrained as refuse collectors to ensure that people’s bins continue to be emptied throughout the coronavirus pandemic.